Bus, train are best way to see ships

CHICAGO — People traveling downtown for the Tall Ships Festival should rely on public transit to avoid traffic delays and parking congestion, city officials said.

The Venetian Night lighted boat parade begins at 8:30 p.m. Saturday along the lakefront from Monroe Harbor to Shedd Aquarium, with fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

The Grand-Illinois exit northbound on Lake Shore Drive is closed for the festival and will reopen Sunday night.

Free trolleys will run every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center and Navy Pier.

Parking will be available at Millennium Park Garage on Columbus Drive or at 300 E. Grand Ave. Other parking options are at the south parking lot of Soldier Field, at 18th Street.

On Monday, drivers can expect a 15-minute wait when the Lake Shore Drive Bridge is raised at 9:30 a.m. and again at 10:30 a.m. and the Columbus Drive Bridge is raised at 10 a.m., to let the ships pass out to Lake Michigan.